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1. Self-motivation

Good employees are self-motivated and committed to excellence. They understand the importance of their job and want to do it well. Self-motivated employees are also usually more likely to take additional responsibilities and demonstrate higher levels of engagement and loyalty. They align their personal growth and career development goals with that of the company and strive to excel in everything they do.

No matter your profession or industry, you can find ways to motivate yourself to do better and set realistic development goals. You can begin by introspecting and identifying what kind of motivators work for you. These can include non-material motivators, like a passion for your work or a desire to contribute to your field. They can also be monetary motivators, like an increase in salary or a promotion.

2. Dedication

Having dedication essentially means being disciplined and committed to work. Dedicated employees can usually manage their roles and responsibilities easily and have a sense of passion for their work. They tend to be timely, efficient and perform tasks with utmost sincerity. Dedicated employees are also usually ambitious and are willing to work hard to improve their skills.

It is easier to be dedicated to your job and work if you enjoy your work or profession. Similarly, a passion for your job or appreciating how your work impacts others can also make you more dedicated. You can learn to become more disciplined, organised, punctual and efficient in your work with regular practice and effort.

3. Trustworthiness

Companies want employees that they can trust, often with confidential business information and secrets. When an employee is trustworthy and reliable, companies give them important work and believe in them to do the job well. Leaders and managers also tend to work closely with reliable employees and team members as they trust them to finish their work without delay, support or supervision.

While trustworthiness is an intrinsic quality, you can develop it by demonstrating positive and professional traits such as punctuality, professionalism, honesty and a high moral code. If you can maintain the quality of your work, take initiative, excel in roles outside of your expertise and are a quick learner, your manager may trust you with more significant responsibilities.

4. Moral integrity and honesty

Companies trust honest employees to do the right thing and make the right decisions in the organisation's best interests. Many situations in the workplace can create ethical and moral dilemmas for employees and may even lead to a conflict of interests. By being accountable for your actions, improving transparency related to your decisions and communicating your intentions clearly, you can elicit the trust of your manager and colleagues.

Most organisations have honesty and transparency as a part of their workplace values and want to hire employees who help sustain this culture. Hence, make ethical decisions, report your mistakes and live up to the company values as much as possible. Developing these values can also greatly benefit your personal life and relationships.

5. Strong communication skills

Among the desirable soft skills in an employee, communication and interpersonal skills are perhaps the most important. Developing these skills can be beneficial for you, no matter what job you do. Strong communication skills can help you interact better with clients, managers, customers and colleagues, reduce misunderstandings and help avoid conflicts. Having strong written communication skills can also help you write better emails and reports.

Developing your active listening and comprehension skills, alongside being conscious of giving feedback, is one way to improve your communication skills. Remember, being a good listener is also an important part of being a good communicator, as it helps you understand the other person better.

6. Leadership

Another soft skill that is usually high in demand is leadership and the ability to manage teams. Strong leadership skills can expedite your career progress and make you a manager or team leader. It is important to note that leadership involves more than merely leading a group of people to achieve goals. Successful leaders can usually motivate their team members, develop their potential and help them collaborate seamlessly. Many recruiters and hiring managers assess this ability even when hiring for junior roles to evaluate leadership potential in candidates.

Being confident, reliable, innovative and eager to take on more responsibility is one way to demonstrate your leadership potential. When given the opportunity, you should display strong organisational, management, and flexibility alongside inspiring and connecting with your team.

7. Emotional intelligence and awareness

Emotional intelligence and self-awareness can be essential for success in today's world. By understanding your own strengths, weaknesses, emotions and biases, you can be more aware of your limitations and know when to seek support while working. Similarly, by being mindful of your emotions and that of your colleagues, you can manage communication, feedback and conflict in a much better way. Being more aware of yourself and others is also essential in cultivating a culture of respect, healthy boundaries and collaboration in the workplace.

You can develop emotional intelligence and self-awareness by practising mindfulness and adopting techniques of meditation. It can also be helpful to keep yourself physically fit, eat healthily and keep yourself well-hydrated while at work. These traits can also help improve your personal satisfaction levels and enhance other relationships in your life by building a positive outlook.

8. Responsible

Good employees take responsibility for their successes and failures and evoke a sense of trust from their managers and colleagues. They demonstrate values such as dependability, punctuality and autonomy. By working independently and taking ownership of their work, employees can show that they can work on their own. Responsible and trusted employees are usually very focused, resourceful, time-efficient and cognisant of the overall developments in their project or department.

You can learn how to handle more responsibilities and operate more independently with sufficient experience and practice. By learning how to manage your time and schedule more efficiently, you can make time for additional tasks or guide other team members. Another way to indicate your expertise and independence in a process or subject is to make improvements to it and solve recurring challenges.

9. Creativity

Modern businesses and workplaces are complex entities with several critical and sensitive processes operating simultaneously. The increasing pace of digitisation over the past decade also means that some challenges and issues require perspectives beyond theoretical knowledge and academic training. Employees who can apply what they learn, find creative solutions to routine problems and innovate existing practices are usually high in demand by employers.

The first step to developing your creative skills and being more innovative is to master your subject or domain. Once you have a comprehensive understanding of your field, you can begin experimenting with new tools, processes and models to solve existing problems. It can be helpful to start a personal project on the side where you can apply the new skills and knowledge that you learn.

10. Teamwork

Even in industries and companies that have highly individualised roles, employees have to invariably work in teams with others. Working in a team requires you to communicate and collaborate with others, support each other and exchange feedback. When employees can work with each other in teams successfully, it helps achieve company and business goals, improve the workplace culture and build professional relationships. Many leaders and hiring managers look for teamwork and team spirit when interviewing candidates for open positions.

By being flexible, accepting critical feedback, resolving conflict and supporting team members, you can demonstrate that you are a team player. Good employees are usually willing to adapt as required and can successfully play the role of a leader and a team member.

11. Willingness to learn

The business landscape is constantly evolving, and companies require flexible employees who are willing to learn new ideas, processes and concepts. For several years now, the ability to learn and implement new knowledge quickly is among the most in-demand soft skills employers desire in candidates. This is particularly true for industries that are predominantly IT and digital services-driven, as technological innovations are taking place rapidly.

It is important to recognise that many current academic structures and programmes might be insufficient to solve the challenges of modern technology and digital solutions. You can look for industry-relevant certifications that can help you upskill and attend training, events and workshops. To become a successful employee, being open to learning throughout your career is a vital trait.

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